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On 11 May 2003 at 12:11, MattCrunk@aol.com wrote: > Just found and subscribed to this list. My wife and I are vintage VW > enthusiasts residing in Decatur, Alabama. I'm 37, she's 26. > We currently own a pair of 68s - a 68 Squareback and also a 68 Karmann Ghia. Welcome to the list, Matt. We can help with all your type 3 questions. > Any mail order sources for Type 3 resto parts (especially interiors) would be > greatly appreciated. Also, my wife wants to convert the Squareback to automatic, > and I think I may have already found a wrecked donor car with good engine and > auto transmission. Any thoughts or suggestions on this conversion? TMI is the best source for good repro interior stuff, but you may be able to actually find some good original parts from members of the list here. It's always best to ask here first. Converting a 68 to AT will be a big undertaking. I'd actually suggest that it would be much less work to just teach your wife to drive a stick. To convert the 68 to AT you would, at the very least, have to swap the rear subframe w/brakes, modify the bottom of the pan, weld in the rear engine hangers, modify the engine case and convert the flywheel to drive plate (or use the AT engine,) and modify the top of the tunnel where the shift lever goes. If the donor car has a good pan, it might be easier to just use it, and put your rust free 68 body on it, but you'd still need to weld the rear mount supports to the 68 body. Nothing here is straightforward. The major problems are that there were no ATs sold in the US in 68 (and very few worldwide), the 68 MTs were swing axle, while all the ATs were IRS. I liked the 68s sold here. The swing axle is solid and the FI works well. You'll have work to do on the brakes, as well as lots of work to do to get the car put back together from the "fixing up" of previous owners. I'd concentrate on those things and try to keep a lid on the work ahead of you at this point. -- ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------- List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org